This is in response to Holly Benton’s article, “To go or not to go to church on Sunday.” Before I continue, I would just like to say that this letter is mainly for Christians. Although I would like everyone reading this to get to know Jesus Christ in a personal way, I understand and respect your choice, and I’ll just pray that God changes your heart. If anyone wants to talk to me about how I’m wrong, or anything else, just give me a call.

There are some things Holly said that are very true. For instance, many college students do have higher priorities, like sleeping off a hangover or studying. As matter of fact, what would drive someone to go to church once the “well-meaning parents” are not around?

However I have several questions for all the people she knows “who live every day by the Bible, but don’t attend church.” I think it’s ironic how she said her friends live by the Bible but don’t attend church, and then in the very next paragraph mentions hypocrites. Now I’m not saying I’ve never been a hypocrite myself. I sin all the time, but by God’s mercy and grace I am forgiven. I know this by reading what God wrote to me in the Bible. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, that no one can boast,” Ephesians 2:8-9.

It seems to me that Holly is much more concerned about being good, than about Jesus Christ her savior. I suppose it would be nice to be able to get drunk, sleep in, and not have to think about God, except on Christmas and Easter, but God calls us to be holy and to have reverent fear of His mighty power. Leviticus 19:2 says, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” I don’t think Jesus would get blitzed on Saturday night and sleep through church (Read Ephesians 5:18-21). Romans 12:1 says, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy, and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.”

God loves you and wants you to love him. Any marriage counselor will tell you that you can’t just say, “I love you.” You have to show your love by your actions. Are you showing Jesus Christ you love him? Church is a place for you to thank him for dying for you, to worship Him for what He’s given you, and for having fellowship with other Christians to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds,” Hebrews l0:24.

I agree with Holly that going to church will not save you. Only humbly giving your life to God, realizing that you’re a sinner, and letting Jesus’ blood cover your sins for forgiveness will save you: “I am the way, the truth, and the life, NO ONE comes to the Father but through me,” John 14:6. In this verse, Jesus states pretty clearly how you get to heaven. Later in 2 Peter 1, Peter shows us how we need to act once we come to that conclusion: “… in your faith, supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self control, and in your self-control, perserverance, and in your perserverance, godliness … for he who lacks these qualities is blind, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.”

Jesus Christ died for all of us. The least we could do is drag ourselves out of bed for an hour or two one day of the week to worship and praise His holy name.

John Andrus

Sophomore

LAS